The Making of a

Therapist: A Practical
Guide for the Inner
Journey (Norton
Professional Books)
 By
Louis Cozolino
W. W. Norton &
Company
 Lessons from the personal experience and reflections of a
therapist.

The difficulty and cost of training psychotherapists properly is well

known. It is far easier to provide a series of classes while ignoring
the more challenging personal components of training. Despite the
fact that the therapist's self-insight, emotional maturity, and calm
centeredness are critical for successful psychotherapy, rote
knowledge and technical skills are the focus of most training
programs. As a result, the therapist's personal growth is either
marginalized or ignored. The Making of a Therapist counters this
trend by offering graduate students and beginning therapists a
personal account of this important inner journey.

Cozolino provides a unique look inside the mind and heart of an

experienced therapist. Readers will find an exciting and privileged
window into the experience of the therapist who, like themselves, is
just starting out. In addition, The Making of a Therapist contains the
practical advice, common-sense wisdom, and self-disclosure that
practicing professionals have found to be the most helpful during
their own training.The first part of the book, 'Getting Through Your
First Sessions,' takes readers through the often-perilous days and
weeks of conducting initial sessions with real clients. Cozolino
addresses such basic concerns as: Do I need to be completely
healthy myself before I can help others? What do I do if someone
comes to me with an issue or problem I can't handle? What should I
 do if I have trouble listening to my clients? What if a client scares
me?The second section of the book, 'Getting to Know Your Clients,'
delves into the routine of therapy and the subsequent stages in
which you continue to work with clients and help them. In this
context, Cozolino presents the notion of the 'good enough' therapist,
one who can surrender to his or her own imperfections while still
guiding the therapeutic relationship to a positive outcome.

The final section, 'Getting to Know Yourself,' goes to the core of the
therapist's relation to him- or herself, addressing such issues as:
How to turn your weaknesses into strengths, and how to deal with
the complicated issues of pathological caretaking,
countertransference, and self-care.Both an excellent introduction to
the field as well as a valuable refresher for the experienced clinician,
The Making of a Therapist offers readers the tools and insight that
make the journey of becoming a therapist a rich and rewarding
experience.
W. W. Norton & Company

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